Weekend College Games: September 30 - October 6

Each week, USA Field Hockey' highlights some of the top college games in Division I, II and III.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

DI: No. 4 Northwestern vs. No. 7 Maryland | 6:00 p.m. ET | BTN+

No. 4 Northwestern (8-2, 0-1 Big Ten) travels to College Park, Md. to take on the No. 7 Maryland (7-2, 1-1 Big Ten) at 6:00 p.m. ET in a huge regular season Big Ten Conference matchup.

The Wildcats come into the contest after suffering a loss in their most recent game to Big Ten foe Rutgers by a margin of 2-1. That loss marked the end of their five-game win streak in 2021 and the program’s first loss of regular season Big Ten play. Heading into half time, Northwestern led 1-0 with a goal from Kayla Blas. The game was decided in the final quarter when Rutgers notched the equalizer and scored the game winner with 6 minutes remaining from a penalty corner.

Maryland is currently on a three-game win streak capturing their most recent victory against American in Washington, D.C. The Terrapins won by a score of 4-0 with three different goal scorers. Senior midfielder Bibi Donraadt scored two while U.S Women’s National Team athlete and Big Ten Freshman of the Week Hope Rose and U-21 USMNT member Emma DeBerdine, both registered one goal each. 

The last meeting between the Wildcats and Terrapins took place on March 7, 2021. Northwestern took home a close 2-1 victory. 

DIII: Anna Maria vs. Bridgewater State | 7:00 p.m. ET

 

Anna Maria (2-6, 2-2 GNAC) faces Bridgewater State (3-4, 1-2 Little East) at 7:00 p.m. ET in Bridgewater, Mass.

 

Anna Maria captured their second win of the 2021 regular season in their last game. The Amcats posted a dominant 14-0 win over Albertus Magnus last Saturday in a Greater Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) meeting at home. Leading the way for Anna Maria was graduate student Allyson Shaw who registered a career-high four goals and two assists. Eden Forget and Meghan Sonia were both instrumental, posting a hat trick each in the game.

 

Bridgewater State got back in the win column after posting a 3-0 victory over Fitchburg State in their most recent contest. Scoreless through the first two quarters, senior forward Katie Swart got the Bears on the scoreboard as time expired at the end of the third quarter. With a 1-0 lead going into the fourth, Bridgewater sealed the game away with another goal from Swart and a penalty corner rebound from sophomore Charlotte McElroy. 

 

The most recent meeting between the programs took place during the 2019 regular season. Anna Maria registered a 5-0 win against the Bears. 

 

Friday, October 1, 2021

DI: Northeastern vs. James Madison | 6:00 p.m. ET | FloSports+

Northeastern (3-6, 0-0 CAA) take on James Madison (4-4, 0-0 CAA) in the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) conference regular season opener at 6:00 p.m. ET in Harrisonburg, Va. at the JMU Field Hockey Complex.

Northeastern comes into the game after a two-win weekend at home facing Dartmouth and Boston. The Huskies won their game against Dartmouth 3-0 with three separate athletes registering goals. Senior goalkeeper Julia Gluyas got her second shutout of the season making four saves throughout the contest. They then went on to win against the Terriers, 2-1. The game winning goal came in the third quarter off of a penalty corner shot from Lauren Rowe.

James Madison most recently captured a 7-0 win at Davidson this past Sunday. With seven different goal scorers, the Dukes put the game away in the second half scoring 5 of the 7 goals in the third and fourth quarter. Sunday’s game marked the most goals scored and largest margin of victory since JMU’s 8-1 win over Saint Francis during the 2018 regular season.

Historically, James Madison leads the all-time record, 16-10. The last meeting took place earlier this year on April18, 2021. That game went in favor of the Dukes who earned a 3-0 victory. The first game between the two programs dates back to October 1984.

DII: No. 10 Limestone  vs. Belmont Abbey | 6:00 p.m. ET | Conference Carolinas DN

No. 10 Limestone (5-3, 4-1 SACC) faces Belmont Abbey (6-2, 4-1 SACC) for the second time in six days at 6:00 p.m. ET in Belmont, N.C.

Limestone last played Converse in a Wednesday night matchup. The Valkyries edged Limestone 3-1 with the separating goals coming in the third quarter. Getting on the scoring sheet in the 49th minute for the Saints was midfielder Riley DeGrace. Limestone trailed in shots on goal 4-2 but led on penalty corner opportunities 5-2.

Belmont Abbey looks for redemption after dropping the first meeting between the programs ,2-1, on September 25. The Crusaders then took on Mount Olive in a South Atlantic Conference Carolinas (SACC) matchup. Belmont Abbey went on to win that game 2-0 with two goals from Casey Etter. Overall Belmont led 8-4 in shots on goal and in penalty corners 9-8. 

Prior to the earlier meeting on September 25, 2021 that saw Limestone win 2-1, the last matchup took place in Charlotte, N.C on March 9, 2021. Limestone walked away with a 3-2 victory extending their all-time winning record to 9-0. 

DIII: Southern Virginia vs. Meredith  | 7:00 p.m. ET | YouTube

Southern Virginia (0-8, 0-0 Capital) faces Meredith College (0-6, 0-0 USASAC) as both teams look to get their first win in this 7:00 p.m. matchup

Southern Virginia most recently played against Sweet Briar on Wednesday night. The Knights dropped that game 10-0. Defender Elizabeth Sorto registered the only shot on goal for SVU in their eighth contest of the year.

Meredith took on Virginia Wesleyan for a midweek battle this past Tuesday. The final score fell in favor of Virginia Wesleyan, 6-0. Although the Avenging Angels didn’t register a goal, goalkeeper Shae-Lynn Henderson blocked 23 shots that came her way, including 11 in the third quarter alone. With her efforts in the third frame, Meredith was able to hold Virginia Wesleyan to zero goals during that period of play.

This is the first of two games these teams will play against each other in the 2021 regular season. The next game is slated for October 29 at 5:00 p.m. ET.

Saturday, October 2, 2021

DI: Lafayette vs. Colgate | 11:00 a.m. ET | ESPN+

Lafayette (6-2, 1-1 Patriot League) will host Patriot League opponent Colgate (0-6, 0-1 Patriot League) on Rappolt Field in Easton, Pa. at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Lafayette comes into this game after defeating Patriot League opponent Holy Cross by a score of 4-1. This victory puts them at 1-1 in regular season conference play after losing a close game to American 1-0 in overtime on September 18. In the game with Holy Cross, the Leopards scored once in each quarter, registered 36 shots (19 SOG) and eight penalty corners in total.

Colgate last played on September 25 against Lehigh. The Patriot League contest ended with Lehigh taking home a 7-2 victory. The Mountain Hawks stamped their dominance on the game early with five first half goals and two goals in the first few minutes of the third quarter. Ella Corbett led the way for Colgate registering two goals on two shots for the Raiders.

The last meeting between these two programs took place September 28, 2019. Colgate was edged 4-0 by the Leopards in both of their second regular season Patriot League game. 

DII: Southern Connecticut vs. Saint Michael's | 3:00 p.m. ET | The Owls Network

Saint Michael’s (3-6, 2-3 NE10) welcomes Northeast 10 opponent Southern Connecticut (2-4, 2-2 NE10) to Colchester, Vt. for a 3:00 p.m. ET Saturday afternoon battle. 

Saint Michael’s looks to rebound after a 4-2 loss against Bentley in their most recent game on Sunday. The Purple Knights were led by goal scorers Bonnie Gillis and Bridgie Loughlin who tallied a goal each. Loughlin came into that game named NE10 Rookie of the Week and netted her sixth goal in the past five games. 

Southern Connecticut faced No. 8 Saint Anselm in an NE10 contest on Saturday afternoon. The Owls dropped that game by a score of 5-0. The match started scoreless through the first quarter, but Saint Anselm pulled away after three goals before halftime in the second quarter. Goalkeeper Janelle Ward had seven saves on 12 shots on goal.  

The last matchup dates back to October 5, 2019. It was a close game that ended with Saint Michael’s winning 2-1. All-time the record sits closely at 9-8 in favor of Southern Connecticut. Saint Michael’s is on a four-game win streak against Southern Connecticut that dates back to the 2016 regular season. 

DIII: Lancaster Bible vs. Cedar Crest | 11:00 a.m. ET | Boxcast

Lancaster Bible College (1-7, 0-1 CSAC) will travel to Allentown, Pa. to take on Cedar Crest (2-5, 0-0 CSAC) at 11:00 a.m. ET for an in-state, Colonial State Athletic Conference (CSAC) battle.

Lancaster Bible College looks to rebound after Tuesday’s 6-0 loss to CSAC defending champions, Wilson. The Chargers defense held strong only allowing three of the six goals throughout the first three quarters of play. Wilson opened up the scoring in the fourth quarter, tallying three goals in the opening three minutes to put the game away. Despite the loss, goalkeeper Alexis Garrett faced 20 shots on goal and 20 defensive penalty corners making 14 saves by the end of the night.

Cedar Crest most recently faced Marywood in Scranton, Pa. The Falcons were edged 7-1 at the end of the contest after scoring one late in the fourth quarter. Amber Cieri was the lone scorer for Cedar Crest while goalkeeper Brynn Rifino, who played the full 60 minutes, racked up 17 saves after facing 24 shots on goal.

The last time these programs met marked the first official game between the Falcons and Chargers. The game occurred on October 23, 2019 and ended with Cedar Crest taking home a 4-1 victory. 

Sunday, October 3, 2021

DI: Michigan State vs. No. 25 American | 1:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+

Michigan State (6-2, 0-2 Big Ten) squares off at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday with No 25 American (5-3, 1-0 Patriot League) at Jacobs Recreational Complex in Washington, D.C.

Michigan State was bumped out of the top-25 by American in this week’s National Field Hockey Coaches Association Coaches Poll. The Spartans look to bounce back after posting a 6-1 loss to in-state and Big Ten opponent No. 2 Michigan last Friday. The first half was a closely contested battle with the Wolverines marginally leading 2-1 heading into halftime. Hannah Jarvie scored with 42 seconds remaining in the second quarter to close the 2-0 deficit before the half. Despite an 11 save game from goalkeeper Jade Arundell, Michigan went on to score four unanswered second half goals and secure the victory.

No. 25 American will play Michigan State in the second game of a back-to-back weekend. The Eagles will first play against Bucknell in a Patriot League matchup on Saturday. American also is looking to get back in the win column after dropping a 4-0 decision to No. 7 Maryland. Maryland registered 27 shots to American’s five while the Eagle's goalkeeper Bryn Underwood tallied 11 saves.  

The last game between American and Michigan State took place on September 1, 2017. American took home a 1-0 win in that contest. The all-time record sits at 3-2 in favor of American who is on a three-game win streak that dates back to 2014. 

DII: New Haven  vs. No. 3 Assumption | 2:00 p.m. ET | NE10 NOW

New Haven (5-4, 5-0 NE10) faces No. 3 Assumption (7-1, 5-0 NE10) in a Northeast 10 conference game at 2:00 p.m. ET in Worcester, Mass.

New Haven will battle to stay undefeated in the Northeast 10 in this game. After most recently defeating Molloy 7-1, the Chargers will look to continue their win streak. New Haven didn’t waste any time opening the scoring against Molloy putting away three of their seven goals in the opening quarter. In total, New Haven tallied 28 shots and 14 penalty corners. Goalkeeper Keira Integlia played the full 60 minutes and came up with two saves.

Assumption looks to continue their seven-game win streak after dropping their only game of the season so far in their season opener against No. 2 West Chester in overtime. The Greyhounds most recently won at Adelphi 2-1 on Tuesday. Assumption got the scoring started early tallying their two goals of the game in the first quarter. Deirdre Burchill scored the first goal only 1:05 into play with the eventual game winning goal coming one minute later from Sydney Bouchard. 

The last meeting between these two teams saw Assumption claim a 2-0 victory. Assumption leads the all-time record 5-0 against New Haven dating back to the first matchup on September 13, 2017. 

DIII: DePauw vs. Transylvania | 1:00 p.m. ET | Team1Sports

DePauw (1-5, 0-0 NCAC) plays Transylvania (0-9, 0-1 SAA) at 1:00 p.m. ET in Lexington, Ky.

DePauw faces Transylvania after a doubleheader weekend with Centre and the Pioneers on October 2 and 3. The Tigers last played on Sunday against Kenyon in Gambier, Ohio. DePauw dropped that matchup 2-0 with the game winning goal being tallied in the opening seconds of the second quarter. Despite the loss, senior goalkeeper Allie Duranceau accumulated seven saves off of nine shots on goal. 

Transylvania fell at Wittenberg on Wednesday night. The Tigers managed to score at least one goal in each quarter of play despite Libby Bringard's valiant effort in the cage. The Transylvania goalkeeper made 11 saves after facing 17 shots on goal. 

DePauw leads the all-time record 8-0 against Transylvania dating back to 2007. Their last meeting took place on October 7, 2018 and ended with the Tigers capturing a 6-0 victory. 

Monday, October 4, 2021 

DII: Miami vs. No. 3 Louisville | 7:00 p.m. ET | ESPN+

Newly ranked No. 3 Louisville (9-1, 2-0 ACC) hosts Miami (OH) (5-6, 2-0 MAC) at Trager Stadium for a 7:00 p.m. Monday evening matchup.

Louisville looks to continue their winning ways in this game with Miami. The Cardinals only loss of the season came at the hands of now No. 1 ranked Iowa. After that, Louisville picked up wins against then ranked No. 18 Duke and most recently No. 19 Ohio State. The game against the Buckeyes was a thriller ending after a double overtime goal by Julie Kouijzer. Ohio State led 1-0 entering the fourth quarter until Katie Schneider got Louisville back into the game with 8 minutes remaining in regulation. In total, Louisville outshot Ohio State 14-7 with 11-3 being shots on goal.

Miami will face Ball State and Wake Forest in Oxford, Ohio before they face the Cardinals. In their most recent game from this past weekend, the RedHawks took down Saint Francis by a season-high four goals, 4-0. The game winner, and first goal of the game, was tallied with eight seconds remaining in the first quarter off of the RedHawks’ sixth penalty corner from Claudia Negrete Garcia. 

The last meeting between these programs occurred on March 22, 2021. The RedHawks and Cardinals had a closely contested battle with the game going into shootouts after two scoreless overtime periods. Louisville went on to win the game, 2-1 (4-2 Shootout). Louisville trails 19-23 all-time but is currently on a 15-game win streak that dates back to 2001. 

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

DII: No. 7 Kutztown vs. No. 4 Millersville | 6:00 p.m. ET | Ville Sports Network

No. 4 Millersville (8-1, 1-1 PSAC) welcome No. 7 Kutztown (6-1, 2-0 PSAC) to Chryst Field in Millersville, Pa. at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday for this top-10 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) showdown.

Kutztown comes into this game after posting a 1-0 victory in dramatic fashion versus No. 9 Bloomsburg. In a Wednesday night thriller, the Golden Bears and Huskies went scoreless into double overtime. The stats read evenly with Kutztown leading 4-3 in shots on goal and both goalkeepers registering three saves. The deciding goal came late in the 71st minute of play from Izzy Radel off a penalty corner.

Millersville was unbeaten before heading into Wednesday night’s matchup with No. 2 West Chester. An extremely close game eventually was decided by only one goal late in the fourth quarter by Emma Velez. With only 40 seconds remaining in regulation, West Chester managed to capitalize on one of their 11 penalty corners on the night. Millersville registered eight total shots with five on target and accumulated three attacking penalty corners. A bright spot heading into another top-10 ranked matchup for the Marauders is recently named NFHCA Division II Defensive Player of the Week Kate Strickland.

October 17, 2019 was the last time Kutztown and Millersville met. In an extremely close battle, Kutztown edged the Marauders, 1-0, in shootouts. Kutztown leads the all-time record 19-13 most recently ending Millersville’s 12-game winning streak that started in 2012.  

DIII: Rochester  vs. Brockport  | 7:15 p.m. ET | GoBrockport

Rochester (7-2, 1-0 LL) travels to Brockport, N.Y. to take on SUNY Brockport (5-4, 0-1 SUNYAC) for a mid-week matchup at 7:15 p.m. ET. 

Rochester comes into this game after posting a 2-1 win against St. John Fisher. Leading the way for the Yellowjackets was goal scorer Nikki Mercer. Her first goal came in the 19th minute of play and gave Rochester a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. Her second, and eventual game winner, was scored during a scramble in front of net at the beginning of third quarter. Overall, Rocheseter had a total of 20 shots and 11 penalty corners.

SUNY Brockport faced Houghton in a Wednesday night clash. In a closely contested matchup, the Golden Eagles sealed a 3-2 come from behind victory after scoring two goals in the fourth quarter. Trailing 2-0 at the half, Brockport scored three unanswered. Katelynn Mello led the scoring efforts with two goals as well as Kayli Burr who netted one. The game winner came late in the fourth quarter with just a little over a minute left in regulation.

Historically, Rochester leads the series between these programs, 13-1. Currently on an 11-game winning streak, the Yellow Jackets won 6-3 against Brockport in their last meeting on October 8, 2019.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

DII: Mount Olive vs. Coker | 3:00 p.m. ET | Cobra Sports Network

Mount Olive (3-5, 3-3 SACC) faces Coker (2-4, 2-3 SACC) in a South Atlantic Conference Carolinas (SACC) game at 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

Mount Olive most recently faced Belmont Abbey in a Wednesday night contest. The Trojans dropped that game 2-0 marking their third loss of the SACC regular season. Despite the loss, Trojan goalkeeper Victoria Lane recorded six saves throughout the contest. 

Coker looks to add to their win column in this re-match with Mount Olive. In their first meeting, Mount Olive edged the Cobras 2-1 at home. Coker bounced back with a 2-1 overtime victory at Converse. While Converse outshot the Cobras 19-12 with 7-4 shots on goal, goalkeeper Kelsey Gibbons came up big making six saves and recording her 200th career save in the victory. 

Prior to the first meeting this season, the last time Mount Olive and Coker competed was March 12, 2021. Coker won that game 4-1, extending the all-time record to 3-1 in favor of The Cobras.

DIII: Marywood vs. Cabrini | 4:00 p.m. ET | Atlantic East Network

Marywood (6-3, 0-0 AE) and Cabrini (4-6, 0-0 AE) open Atlantic East (AE) conference regular season play at 4:00 p.m. ET in Radnor, Pa.

Marywood comes into this meeting on a four-game win streak. The Pacers most recently played Delaware Valley and came home with a 5-1 victory. This margin of victory marked the second time a Marywood player posted an eight-point night. Angie Genter had a part in all five goals, scoring three and registering assists on the other two. The Pacers have now won 17 straight on their home turf with their last loss in Scranton, Pa. occurring during the last game of the 2018 regular season.

Cabrini looks to add to the win column after dropping a double overtime game to Stevens on Wednesday night. Cabrini started the game strongly, scoring their two goals of the match in the first quarter. Kelly Sweeney tapped one home in the 10th minute while Caroline Gallagher notched an unassisted goal in the 12th. Overall, Cabrini registered 13 shots, 16 penalty corners and four saves on the night. 

The last time Cabrini and Marywood met was November 6, 2019. A closely contested battle ended in a 2-1 decision in favor of Marywood. Cabrini is ahead in the all-time record, leading 17-3. The first time these teams played was back in 2005 where Cabrini won 7-1.  

 

Division I rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll Week 4 (posted September 28, 2021)
Division II rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division II National Coaches Poll Week 3 (posted September 28, 2021) 
Division III rankings based off of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll Week 3 (posted September 28, 2021) 

Photo Credit: American Athletics, Assumption Athletics, Cedar Crest Athletics/Tom Weishaar (OneMoreShot), Coker Athletics, Limestone Athletics, Louisville Athletics/Adam Creech, Northwestern Athletics, Rochester Athletics